119-hres766

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 766 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

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119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
H. RES. 766

 Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Schomburg 
 Center for Research in Black Culture.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 September 26, 2025

Mr. Espaillat submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
 the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

 Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Schomburg 
 Center for Research in Black Culture.

Whereas the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, a research library 
 of The New York Public Library, is recognized as one of the world's 
 leading institutions devoted to the preservation, study, and celebration 
 of Black and African life, history, and culture, serving as both a 
 community anchor in Harlem and internationally renowned research 
 library;
Whereas the Schomburg Center has nurtured generations of writers, scholars, 
 artists, and activists, from Langston Hughes and James Baldwin to 
 Augusta Savage and contemporary voices shaping the global conversation 
 on race and identity, ensuring its continued role as the living reminder 
 of the Harlem Renaissance and a cornerstone of African and African 
 Diasporic studies;
Whereas, on July 14, 1905, a newly constructed library building in Harlem at 103 
 West 135th Street opened, with the title of 135th Street Branch Public 
 Library, with a collection of over 10,000 books and goal of serving the 
 neighborhood;
Whereas, in 1920, Ernestine Rose became the branch librarian of the 135th Street 
 Branch and immediately instituted changes in the branch to serve the 
 needs of the vibrant African and Latino community that would make the 
 library a hub of the Harlem Renaissance;
Whereas the branch has been a leader in integration and diversity in New York 
 City, with the hiring of the first African-American librarian, Catherine 
 Allen Latimer, and hiring the first Puerto Rican librarian, Pura Teresa 
 Belpre;
Whereas the branch has been a focal point of the Harlem Renaissance, as a 
 meeting place of intellectuals and artists and the only library branch 
 in New York City which employed Black librarians, and met the community 
 requests to feature Black artists and literature;
Whereas resourceful librarians and community leaders advocated for the creation 
 of the Division of Negro Literature, History, and Prints, the forerunner 
 of the Schomburg Center, on May 8, 1925;
Whereas Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, an acclaimed Afro-Latino historian and 
 archivist, sold much of his collection to The New York Public Library 
 for the 135th Street Branch and became the curator of the Division of 
 Negro Literature, History and Prints;
Whereas, upon Schomburg's untimely passing, the Division was renamed in his 
 honor to the Schomburg Collection of Negro Literature, and eventually 
 the entire branch was named the Schomburg Center for Research in Black 
 Culture;
Whereas, being inspired by the teachings of W.E.B. Du Bois, the American Negro 
 Theatre was founded in the basement auditorium, with the belief that 
 African-American theatre should be made by, about, for, and near 
 African-Americans;
Whereas, in 2000, the Schomburg Center held an exhibition, Lest We Forget: The 
 Triumph Over Slavery, that was so successful it went on a world tour for 
 over a decade under the sponsorship of the United Nations Educational, 
 Scientific, and Cultural Organization

    (UNESCO) ;
Whereas, in 2016, the Schomburg Center's original and subsequent buildings were 
 designated a National Historic Landmark, recognizing its central place 
 in American history;
Whereas the Schomburg Collection is considered one of the most prestigious 
 African-American and Afro-centric collections in the United States, 
 consisting of over 11,000,000 artifacts, including writings and 
 recordings of Marcus Garvey, Toussaint Louverture, Booker T. Washington, 
 Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, and Malcolm X; and
Whereas, to this day, the Schomburg Center is committed to meeting the needs of 
 its community, providing educational and public programs year-round and 
 establishing the long-term fellowship program known as Scholars-in-
 Residence and the youth educational initiative Junior Scholars Program: 
 Now, therefore, be it
 Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

    (1) recognizes the 100th anniversary of the founding of the 
 Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture;

    (2) commends the critical work it has done in advancing 
 intellectual growth, cultural understanding, and historical 
 preservation of African and Black culture; and

    (3) celebrates the lasting and continued impact of the 
 Schomberg Center as a beacon of research, creativity, and 
 community engagement in African-American and African Diaspora 
 studies, and American history.
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